I will go along with the consensus and predict the Chicago Cubs to win the National League Central Division title.
Both the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals could even should challenge but it will be the Cubs, I suppose.
Neither the Cincinnati Reds nor the Milwaukee Brewers, though each will improve, have enough to take the title.
Cubs first, Cardinals second, Pirates third, Reds fourth, Brewers fifth.
The NHL regular season ends Sunday and tonight there are 13 games, some with playoff implications.
Only two of the 16 playoff spots are open and three teams are contending for those two playoff berths.
Two are original six NHL teams, the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings, the other a part of the first expansion and the first such team to win the Stanley Cup, namely the Philadelphia Flyers.
Detroit is bidding for its 25th consecutive post-season appearance which is a record for any major North American sports league.
Two years ago the Los Angeles Dodgers finished ahead of that season’s World Series winners, the San Francisco Giants.
I predict a fourth straight National League West crown for the Dodgers.
The Giants, World Series winners in each of the last three “even year” seasons will finish second.
Neither Arizona (Diamondbacks) nor the Colorado Rockies will be contenders.
I say the San Diego Padres will improve but also will not be contenders.
The Dodgers first with 90 wins, the Giants not far behind.
It was almost eery watching the Johnny Carson Tonight Show on Antenna T.V. and switching back to what I received as a “stream with the North Carolina slant, to say the least.”
The reason for the feeling cited above was that Jim Valvano was Johnny’s first guest on a show from 1989 and perhaps two minutes at most passed from the time Valvano talked of his team’s win on a dunk shot in 1983 on one channel and Villanova winning it all on a last second shot on another.
So it seems fate that the game ended with a tie breaking shot, as it did with Lorenzo Charles dunk for Valvano and his North Carolina State team in 1983.
This one with Villanova triumphing, again 2 minutes after Valvano referenced 1983, was on a considerably longer shot by Kris Jenkins. Each will be remembered for a long time.
Jim Valvano, pictured above, after his North Carolina State team won it all in 1983.
I will go with the Detroit Tigers to improve from last year’s disappointing season and win their 5th A.L. Central title in 6 seasons.
The defending world champion, Kansas City Royals will struggle (warning I said that last year as well when they were defending American League champions).
Minnesota (Twins) will improve under Paul Molitor as their manager.
I do not believe in the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox will improve.
All five teams have a real chance in this division.
It is an annual post at this time, citing the great University of Connecticut’s Women’s basketball team, on another NCAA title.
The latest and fourth straight and 11th under coach Geno Auriemma came in a (82-51) victory vs the Syracuse women’s team. Auriemma passed the great John Wooden, who had 10 men’s titles for the most titles accumulated by a college coach.
Breanna Stewart, a brilliant player led the way. She scored 24 points and was named the most outstanding player of the women’s final four, yes a fourth time in as many years or possibilities, a truly amazing feat.
The team’s 4 year record is (151-4) with titles in all four seasons.
Breanna Stewart pictured above.
Against my better judgment, I am predicting the Texas Rangers to repeat as A.L. West champions.
The favorite Houston Astros will finish second.
Next will be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Seattle Mariners might improve but I still put them in fourth place.
I go along with the consensus and pick the Oakland A’s for fifth place.
I thought and certainly think the Toronto Blue Jays will get off to a great start.
Thus their (2-0) start is not the reason I am “officially” predicting they will repeat as A.L. East champions.
I surely do not favor the Boston Red Sox and think the New York Yankees have a way to go to unseat the Blue Jays as division winners.
Neither the Baltimore Orioles and almost surely the Tampa Bay Rays will be contenders for the division title.
Prediction: Blue Jays 1st, Yankees 2nd, Red Sox 3rd, Orioles 4th, Rays 5th.
Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hit a three point shot as time expired lifting the Wildcats (Villanova), to their second national title (the other in 1985), winning (77-74) vs North Carolina.
Sadly, the great finish occurred in the first national title game since at least 1968 (North Carolina lost that game as well) not on over the air television.
“Nova” (perhaps destiny that a team called “Nova” would go, I believe, (6-0) vs the spread in the tournament, but remember so called locks or lox, nova being a type, are expensive) senior Ryan Arcidiacono, whose pass set up Jenkins’ historic shot, was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Perhaps lost in the winner takes it all mentality, is that North Carolina’s Marcus Paige made a great three point shot to tie the game with just over 4 seconds to play.
However, Villanova seeded second in its region is a truly deserving champion as they beat two one seeds and a two seed, to claim the title under coach Jay Wright.
Villanova’s Kris Jenkins certainly hit the longest NCAA title winning shot of any kind, certainly among those as time expired. Vic Rouse scored to win the 1963 title for Loyola of Chicago and Lorenzo Charles did so 20 years later for North Carolina State.
This is the 19th time North Carolina has made at least the national semi-final/Final Four round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
They are (10-9) in semi-final games and enter tonight’s Final vs Villanova, with a (5-4) record in such games. The breakdown includes (1-0) “semis” records under Ben Carnevale in 1946 and Frank McGuire in 1957.
Under current coach, Roy Williams, “N.C.” is (3-1) in semi-final games. Dean Smith had a (4-9) record in such games, as North Carolina coach, including a loss to current North Carolina coach Roy Williams’ Kansas squad, in a 1991 semi-final game.
Villanova is (3-1) in semi-final games, their lone loss to North Carolina in 2009.
It should be noted that Villanova won a regional final game vs North Carolina en route to its only title in 1985. Since as already noted in another post, North Carolina has beaten Villanova thrice en route to titles, no matter the victor tonight, one or the other beat the other, en route to 5 of the last 6 titles won by the teams.
Andy B Sports 